ABSTRACT

Background: Learning to program and success in computer science requires persistence in the face of challenges. This study contributes to research on the social context of learning by describing how children’s peer interactions can support or hinder the pair’s problem solving on the computer.

Methods: Video recordings from eight pairs of middle school students programming a computer game are used to explore how working with a partner supports or hinders the pair’s persistence in the face of challenges, what we call intrepid exploration (IE).

Findings: IE thrives when partners are responsive to each other both verbally and non-verbally, and when they switch driver and navigator roles to share and build on each other’s expertise. IE is hindered when partners engage in a power struggle that results in disengagement with each other and giving up on their goal. For pair programming to result in interactions that promote persistence, both students must be willing and able to embrace their assigned roles: the navigator supporting their shared goal, and the driver responding to their navigator.

Contribution: The types of interactions described in this paper provide a tool for teachers to evaluate and support productive collaboration among novice pair programmers.

摘要

背景：学习编程并在计算机科学中取得成功需要面对挑战的坚持。本研究通过描述儿童的同伴互动如何支持或阻碍两人在计算机上解决问题，有助于研究学习的社会背景。

方法：使用来自八对中学生编程计算机游戏的视频记录来探索与合作伙伴一起工作如何支持或阻碍两人在面对挑战时的坚持，我们称之为无畏探索（IE）。

发现：当合作伙伴在口头和非口头上相互回应时，当他们转换司机和导航员角色以分享和建立彼此的专业知识时，IE 会蓬勃发展。当合作伙伴参与导致彼此脱离接触并放弃目标的权力斗争时，IE 就会受到阻碍。为了让结对编程产生促进持久性的交互，两个学生都必须愿意并能够接受他们分配的角色：支持他们共同目标的导航员，以及响应他们的导航员的司机。

贡献：本文中描述的交互类型为教师评估和支持新手结对程序员之间的高效协作提供了一种工具。